Divergent Paths
by Gradighet
Summary: A Zorua wakes up in a strange place, without memories except for the adamant belief that she was once human. Now, she must figure out how to regain what she's lost, and learn about herself along the way. There are many paths to take in such a life, but will they be the right ones?
1. Chapter 1

I was drifting in the blackness of unconsciousness for who knows how long. I was in no hurry to get back. The drifting of dull thoughts, of sights and sounds was almost serene. The thing that drew me back into the real world was the scent of something familiar. As I inhaled, more and more reality started forming. _Oak…Maple…Pine…I'm in a forest._ I nodded in acceptance to this fact, reality and logic still not entirely piercing my mind. After a moment of idle thought, my mind suddenly jolted into full awareness. _What am I doing in a forest?!_

Sitting up, but still with closed eyes, I tried to remember where I was supposed to be. I knew it was strange that I was in a forest, but I didn't know why it was. The more I tried to find it, the farther the answer danced away from my mind. I couldn't remember anything. It was as if I was born that day, in that forest, but that obviously wasn't right, though I still wasn't sure why it wasn't right.

After giving up on remembering, I opened my eyes for the first time. No, not the first time. Just the first time I could remember doing so. The first thought that came to my mind was the sight of the trees, I could then put an image to the scents. _Why are they so big? _I wondered. Before I could get up to study them, however, exhaustion hit, and I quickly drifted off once more.

In my dream I kept hearing a voice. It had been completely black for a while, but now a voice was making its way into it, more than pushing, it was burrowing inside, not allowing the coaxing darkness to take me. I tried to push it away and ignore it, but it just got louder and louder. "Hey," it said, "You need to get moving. This road will by busy soon!"

My eyes slowly opened, only to be met by the eyes of a... Vulpix, my mind confirmed after a split second of thought. Though this one had something off about it. The image in my mind was a fox of blazing red fur, not golden like this one was. "Why are you so big?" I asked, the question turning half into a yawn. The Vulpix looked confused, but shrugged.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'd hurry if I were you. We have to get out of here!"

I blinked for a moment, and cocked my head. Something was off about this. Then it hit me. The Vulpix was talking! "You're a talking Vulpix!" I said, a bit loudly.

"Were you dropped or something?" the Vulpix replied with an amused look. "Of course I talk." Her ears perked, and she heard something my own couldn't. "We'd better get out of here quick!"

Before I could even take a breath to respond, she grabbed me and dragged me into the trees at the side of the road. I didn't fight her, and let amusement wash over me. _A large Vulpix dragging a human through the woods. The world must have a sense of humor.[_ I thought, chuckling. Once in the trees, the Vulpix loosened her grip and stepped back.

"That would have been easier if you would have just got up when I told you to. Though you're pretty light for a Zorua," she laughed. "My name's Flair, what's yours?"

Zorua? Was this Vulpix insane? Or was I? Maybe this was just some bizarre dream. _I'll just play along until I wake up. This dream seems strange enough, I mine as well enjoy it. _"My name is Lily," I replied.

Flair smiled. "Glad to make your acquaintance. Come on," she laughed, "I can't drag you everywhere. Well, I can, but don't expect me to!" Her sudden enthusiasm was contagious. I stood up and tried to walk, but ended up tripping over my own feet. Heat rushed to my face, but my new fur seemed to hide the blush of embarrassment. I guess that's one perk of being a Pokémon. Flair tried to hide her giggles, but the silent heaving of her sides gave her away.

"You really are a strange Zorua," she said, somewhat regaining her composure. "I've never seen another one of you around here, so maybe you're normal for where you came from. I honestly don't know." She looked at me with a curious expression, but some petty emotion, perhaps the hurt and embarrassment of being laughed at, didn't make me want to give her any kind of answer. I remained silent.

After a few still moments, Flair put her question aside. Giving me a meaningful look, she took a few slow steps, trying to show me how to do it without tripping over my own feet. I copied her movements, and took small steps. Once I got the hang of it, a proud feeling welled in my chest. I could walk! Nothing could stop me now!

Nothing, except for one thing. Flair stood by me with a huge grin on her face. It almost looked as if she were up to something. Suddenly, she shot off deeper into the forest at a sprint. Surprised, I tried to follow. "I can't run!" I shouted at her. "Slow down!"

"If you can walk, you can run!" she shouted back, her voice indicating where she had disappeared into the trees.

Trying to follow, my walk grew faster and faster, until I was finally running. It was exhilarating! The trees blurred by in streaks of green and brown. My full attention was on the yellow tails of Flair, who I had almost caught up to.

Minutes passed, or hours, I didn't know. Without any warning, Flair skidded to a halt. I did as well, but not nearly as graceful. My face scraped the ground as I slammed into it, and the taste of dirt filled my mouth. Ignoring me, Flair's ears were once again perked. She had a panicked look in her eyes.

"There are trainers coming Lily," she said, "we have to get away from here." She turned toward a thick looking growth of trees, the kind of thing we seemed to avoid on our run. "Follow me," she said before sprinting off into it. Startled, it took me a while to comprehend what was happening. Why would a trainer want to bother me? I have nothing to battle with. Besides, maybe they could tell me where the heck I am. Then I remembered that this was some wacko dream, that I was a Pokémon. A rare one around here, from what Flair had said. I looked around for Flair, but there was no sign of her. The bushes next to me rustled, and I could hear voices: human voices.

"I swear I heard something over here," a male voice said.

"If it's another Beedrill, I'm going to kill you," another male voice replied.

The two trainers appeared into the clearing where I stood frozen, and I was staring wide eyed into the shocked expression of both.


	2. Chapter 2

"I-Is that a _Zorua_?" the first trainer asked with a shocked stutter. He reached up and wiped his eyes, as if rubbing them would prove that it was all in his head.

"No, it can't be," the other trainer said, just as bewildered as the first. "They can only be found in Unova or Kalos. Besides, it would use illusions if it were real. They're smarter at hiding than the Beedrill you insisted weren't going to attack us..."

I was still in a frozen panic as the trainers launched into a heated argument, almost as if they had forgotten I was there. My body was still frozen, as if the shock of being on the other end of the trainer-Pokémon spectrum caused my entire mind and being come to halt. All I could do was with for the best until I had control of my feet again.

The bushes suddenly jolted and rustled from behind where the trainers stood, and concerned eyes met my wide ones. It was Flair! A burst of hope flooded through me, and I was thrust back in control. Though before I could take a step toward her, the all too familiar gleam of an object in the first trainer's hand sent me into a panic once more.

"Even if it's not a Zorua," the trainer sighed, "it can't hurt to try. It looks real enough." It was stupid of me. In all of my thought to make a run toward Flair, I had tuned their conversation out, giving me no clue on what the trainer had decided until it was too late.

No. This was not going to be a part of this dream. This was _my _dream, and I should be able to stop him! I closed my eyes in focus, and images filled my mind. I brought them together into a different scenario, creating an alternate version where the trainers never stumbled upon us. It didn't feel as if anything changed, and a cold and ominous breeze whipped across my face before I opened my eyes.

I saw the shine and rapid change of red to white as the still very real Pokéball hurtled toward me. _How poetic,_ I couldn't help but think while I braced myself, _I wake up to a new life only to have it end with this._ Instead of the end and whatever fate awaited me inside the ball, however, there was a sudden blur gold and a blinding flash, followed by the thud of a fallen, empty Pokéball.

Flair stood protectively in front of me with a heaving and breathless chest. Her ears were turned back in a threatening manner, and she barred her teeth toward the trainers. It was terrifying, and an expression I thought I'd never see on such a cheery Vulpix. Still, something was... off about the Pokéball she had blocked. It had acted as if she was a Pokemon already captured, or at least that's what my mind was telling me.

"You have a trainer?" I asked in a low, shocked whisper.

"We have to go," she said with a flick of her ear and an almost emotionless voice. "Unless you want to try and dodge another one."

I nodded, took one glance at the dumbfounded trainers, and fled toward the thicket of trees with Flair following close behind. The voices of the trainers quickly faded, lost in the density of the forest. I heard Flair's footsteps slow and come to a stop, so I did the same.

"What was that about?" Flair asked, her peppy attitude seemed to have returned. "Now I know you aren't a normal Zorua. No Pokémon would just freeze out there," she giggled, "so what gives?"

"I don't know. I-I just froze." She gave me a skeptical look, and I sighed. "Okay. I was trying to wake up from this dream. Or at least change it," I confessed.

"This isn't a dream," she said softly, "why would you ever think it was?"

"Because I'm a human."


	3. Chapter 3

"Human?" Flair giggled, "of all things, you clearly aren't that. Crazy, maybe."

"That's why this has to be a dream," I sighed, "I woke up as a Zorua, but I clearly remember being human, two legs and everything."

"Well," Flair said with a sly and joking smile, "that's a flaw in your logic, I found you asleep, and even a Bidoof would know you can't sleep in your dreams."

I rolled my eyes, though a small space in the back of my head raised some lingering doubts. What if this wasn't a dream, but what else could it be?

"Out of curiosity," Flair suddenly said, breaking the tension of my thoughtful silence, "what's it like being a human?" She was clearly amusing me, and there was no hint that she had taken my statement seriously.

"I don't know, I don't remember anything. When I try to, all I see are flashes of images that fade away before I can focus and make them out."

A gleam crossed Flair's eyes, and her sly smile widened. "Looks like we have a mystery on our hands."

"We?"

Her smile widened to an excited grin, "Yes, we. I don't have much to do anyway, and you're far more interesting than wandering around this dull forest. Unless you're the type to stare at trees all day. I met a Xatu like that once, not as talkative as I would have liked."

I couldn't help but laugh, but I cut my amusement of short when I caught Flair's sudden expression. Her eyes were distant and her ears pointed low, as if sad about something. Her eyes seemed distant, but as they met my own, she raised her head back up and sighed.

"There's something I have to tell you," she said, "I'm damaged goods. You saw it before, I had a trainer. Most Pokémon aren't fond of the ones like me."

Her sudden somber attitude was unnerving, and I shook my head. "I'm not a normal Pokémon, remember," I flashed her a smile, "and what do you mean had? Did something happen?"

Her eyes turned downcast again, and her brow furrowed with a look of far away sadness, like someone who had just watched a good friend leave them. I mentally gave myself a slap, realizing how hard it seemed for her to bring up the first part. And I just had to bring it up, I'm such an idiot.

"You don't have to tell me," I quickly said, "I shouldn't have brought it up."

She shook her head and straightened up, wiping her eyes with one paw-swipe. "No, I'm the one who brought it up, and I'm overreacting. It's just a little hard to remember, and if we're going to go off and solve a mystery together," it was clear that she forced a smile, but it was a good sign, "you should know about me. I'm what some humans call a shiny Pokémon, I-"

"You don't look shiny," I said in observation, she rolled her eyes. Another good sign of recovery.

"Don't ask me, humans are just weird like that. And don't interrupt, or I won't tell you any more," I nodded, and she did too before continuing. "Anyway, I was originally from this area, but was caught by a traveling trainer who seemed to be fascinated with me. Humans called him a Professor and a scientist, though I'm still not sure what those are. Like I said, humans are weird, no offense," her smile was genuine this time.

"The scientist had a daughter, who always seemed to like me. I had an easy life with her around, she would pet and feed me and attend to anything else I needed, and when she was old enough to crave adventure, so did I. We left on our own journey." Her eyes were distant, as if she were seeing what she remembered.

"My trainer was a kind person. We always had a bond, but it only strengthened on our travels. We met all kinds of humans and Pokémon, and we learned a lot too. It was clear that I wasn't a normal Pokémon, and that drew attention, and not always good attention. Still, we managed," her faraway look suddenly grew darker as she met my own curious gaze. "Then it all changed. For the worse."

"It was in a region far from here, we had gone there because my trainer had wanted to see the musicals the city we arrived in was famous for. We rode all the way across the ocean in a huge ship to get there, and when we finally arrived, we were met by a group of humans in white uniforms. There was a loud crowd of humans around them, listening to the voice of one of the uniformed people. My trainer decided to see what was going on and she-"

"White uniforms?" I suddenly blurted as a strange thought crossed my memory, "are you sure they weren't black? Black unif-"

"I told you not to interrupt, and besides, I'm not blind, and my memory hasn't gone all funky like yours. The uniforms were obviously white. Anyway, she walked toward the crowd, and like always, I followed close behind. The speaking human really seemed to be getting to her, I couldn't understand what he was saying though, I've only really been attuned to what my trainer said in their garbled language. Whatever it was, though, it made her really upset."

"She had never put me in my Pokéball before, but after the crowd started to disperse, she did. I-I'm not sure what happened next. All I remember is drifting off while waiting for her to let me out again. But it never happened. Finally I had to push and fight my way out, and once I was, it was just me. I was all alone in an unfamiliar land, far from even the scent of the noisy city we were destined for."

Flair sighed, and glanced up to the gathering stars now above us. "I waited for her," she took a deep breath, "I waited in those woods for three days, watching the stars change around me, and feeling my hope fade away. I never saw her again, and even though I hope to Arceus it's not true, I know she abandoned me. I know she wouldn't have just left me there otherwise. B-But I just can't come to terms with it. I know I'm an idiot for it, holding onto hope instead of logic, but a small part of me will never let go of that," her smile was sad, and I couldn't imagine the feeling of devastation it would be. _Sometimes not knowing your circumstances is a greater gift than being an onlooker to it, unable to stop what path fate has set out for you_, a small voice in my head whispered.

"Finally," Flair said, again interrupting the silence of my reminiscence, "on the fourth day, I had to force myself to leave. I couldn't stay in that unfamiliar place. I snuck on a departing ship and once it landed, I made my way to the most comforting place. Ironic that it was a forest that gave me something to hold on to, since it was one took my hope away. But I guess everything has a happy ending in mind," she yawned and cracked a crooked grin, "I did meet you, after all. Maybe fate has something in store for us, if you believe in that kind of thing."


	4. Chapter 4

There was a heavy weight on me as a regarded Flair's story. It seemed so much more harrowing than my own situation, and I felt a little selfish even bringing myself into her own problems. Her downcast gaze that lit with happiness as her own wide eyes gazed into mine was encouraging though, at least it seemed I was a messenger of at least some sort of joy to this Vulpix. The least I could do now was to break the silent tension that seemed to have gripped the two of us.

"Looks like you have a mystery too," I said, and found myself swiping my tail across her flank in a gesture of comfort. A sheepish smile creeped across her face and her head cocked as she suddenly voiced a question.

"What were you saying about black uniforms, anyway," she started, "after you oh-so rudely interrupted me. I remember them white, but did you get one of your memories or something to help us figure out your enigma?" She seemed hopeful, and it hurt me a little to crush the shine in her eyes after they had just lightened back up.

"Unfortunately, it's not that. I, well, I'm not exactly sure. The thought just came to me when I said it," a yawn escaped my lips and I realized how dark it had become. "I was probably tired," I offered, though she seemed doubtful that this was the true reason.

"The plot thickens," she giggled, standing and yawning herself. "Let's get some sleep for now, I don't think we'll get any farther tonight." The golden hued Vulpix offered one more fleeting smile before padding toward the shelter of a nearby uprooted tree.

I followed, curling beside where she had made her own spot. We fit snugly, and our body heat, particularly that of the blazing fire type, was comforting. Closing my eye, the only thing that dampened my content mood was the small thought that crossed my mind. _Looks like this dream is coming to a close..._

* * *

The dazzling glow of dawn was what awoke me from my dreamless night, and the first thing I noticed was the warm body pressed against my own and the shade of the wooden roots above us. _I'm still a Pokémon, this can't be right!_ I sucked in a startled breath, not wanting to alarm the still slumbering Flair. Carefully getting to my feet, er, paws, I gingerly stepped out from our makeshift shelter and back onto the forest floor that felt so alien to me. A patch of grass rustled as Flair shifted and tiredly blinked awake, gazing at me through still half shut eyes.

"Good morning," she smiled before launching into a long stretch. "I was thinking about your mysterious black uniforms," she started, "and I doubt we'll find any of them running around these woods. If there are any, they'd probably be in a more human inhabited area. There's a place not far from here... I believe humans call it Pyrite Town. It's not a good place for people or Pokemon, there are a lot of shady characters around there. The perfect place for your convenient lack of a description."

"Pyrite Town," the name didn't ring any bells. I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

"Yep," Flair replied, seemingly glad that I wasn't raising any protests to the idea. "It's a pretty long walk, but if we're lucky we may be able to find a passing truck. They frequent the desert, and if you aim just right you can grab on and hitch a ride to most anywhere, I've done it before."

The whole plan seemed doubtful and dangerous in my mind, but I pushed back the warning bells. After all, I was just a stranger to wherever this place was. She must know what she was doing. Besides, the peppy grin on her face and the excitement in her eyes was enough to keep me from saying anything against the matter. Instead, I nodded slowly, causing her to let out one happy bark.

"Follow me," Flair said before dashing off back into the forest. Unlike before, I was ready, and kept up right along her flank. She glanced back and grinned, speeding up. I followed.

* * *

"We've been waiting for hours," I said, unsure if it truly had been that long. Flair nodded in agreement, pawing anxiously at the sandy ground below and scanning our desolate surroundings. We had opted to wait out a passing vehicle bound toward Pyrite's direction. Unfortunately, it seemed more of a fantasy than a reality. I wasn't sure what kind of region this was, but it definitely wasn't a bustling one. There hadn't been any signs of other life since they reached the desert landscape.

Suddenly, however, Flair's ears perked up and her head snapped to the right. "Do you hear that?"

I focused my ears as well, and the faint roar of an engine greeted me. "Yes," I replied, "looks like waiting finally paid off." The noise kept getting closer and closer, and soon enough a truck could be seen speeding along the desert sand. There was a green tarp covering whatever contents were in its back, and an unseen driver shaded by its tinted windows.

"When I say go, jump and grab onto something," Flair commanded, lowering herself into a crouch. I followed suit as anticipation flooded through me. I had waited too long to back out now, bad idea or not. The truck got closer. And closer. I didn't hesitate as I heard Flair's sudden "go", I leaped forward.

The wind seemed to want to tear me off of the truck the moment I landed, scrabbling desperately to get a hold of something. I dug my claws into the tarp, and I stopped sliding. _I didn't even know I had claws_, the amusing though crossed my mind, and my small victory over the wind made me feel content. That was, until a piercing sound wiped the happy thoughts away. It sounded like something ripping, and I looked down right as a bump in the road sent my flying into the hole I had just created. Everything was suddenly dark save for the small sliver of light above me. Shaking my head, I searched desperately around. "Flair..." I trailed off meekly. There was no sign of my Vulpix companion.


	5. Chapter 5

The first thing I felt was a cool sensation across my leg, as if something metallic was pressing up against it. Startled, I backed up, and whatever it was that I had been leaning into disappeared into the shadows, announcing its departure with the faint whir from rolling across the truck-bed. I looked up, there was no way to reach the hole that I had fallen in. No way out...

I shook my head to clear my desperate thoughts. _I can do this. I may be an idiot for getting into this situation in the first place, but Flair is counting on me. I need to get out of here!_ Suddenly, as the vehicle jetted forward, I was thrown off my feet and against the back of the small prison I found myself in. An echoing click resonated in the air.

"Ah, finally," a deep sounding voice spoke, "you found the release latch. Thanks for getting me out of that wretched Pokéball, by the way," it continued. Soft steps could be heard, claws tapping with every step. I froze, they were coming closer, but the darkness still hid them, consuming them in its anonymity. The walking froze for a second, as if he were studying something for a moment. "The poor bastards," he snickered, though it didn't seem like it was a statement toward me.

I hadn't noticed before, but my eyes seemed to have been rapidly adjusting while I cowered in the darkness. Everything was slowly coming into focus, and I could make out more of what was going on. _I should have figured, I am a Dark type after all..._ From this, I could finally observe the shape of the stranger. He walked on two heavily-clawed legs and had a long feather extending from where an cat-like ear complimented it on the other side of his head. It took a moment for my mind to put a name to the image. He was a Sneasel, or so my blank mind was telling me. I also turned my gaze to see what he had commented on before. It seemed to be a box of more round objects, Pokéballs, neatly packed with only a few sticking out from the top.

"You've undone the lock, but you aren't going to open it for me," the Sneasel said in mock hurt, he closed the gap between us and pushed me gently aside before thrusting his clawed hands at the back wall and pushing. His arms trembled and shook with effort, but it was rewarded as it gave way. A blinding light filled what was no longer my prison, and I blinked rapidly as my eyes tried to adjust. What I was left with after the stinging light faded from my eyes was the sight of the desert road passing by in a blur.

"Since it seems I'm the courteous one around here, lady's first," the Sneasel grinned, motioning toward the gap. I hesitated, it looked like a hard fall.

"I-I can't go," I said, forming an excuse, "I have to find a friend." Flair could still be in this place, somewhere. Maybe I missed her before, but it was light now, no way I could miss her now.

"Suit yourself," the Sneasel said, "but if they're in there," he nodded toward the box of Pokéballs, "all I can say is good luck. I'd hurry up, though. They'll probably check their precious cargo soon." He rolled his eyes, and backed up toward the opening. With that, he saluted me with a wry grin and jumped, disappearing with the blurry sands that escaped my gaze.

I knew Flair wouldn't be in here. My mind accepted it, but it was me that had been in denial. I looked over everything one last time before sighing and laying onto the ground. It was just me and countless others that I didn't care for. _What had they been called, 'poor bastards'? Look who's the poor bastard now._ I sighed. There was nothing else tying me to this place. Flair was gone, and I was alone. I looked toward the opening and stood.

"Only one way out." With a running start, I raced toward the exit of my prison. Toward the light. As the mechanical ground beneath my feet subsided, I jumped. _Well, fate, if you do have plans for me, now would be a pretty good time to keep me alive._


	6. Chapter 6

For a fleeting moment, it felt like I was flying. There was no ground at my feet, and the dry air whipped through my fur in an almost calming way. Though, as quickly as the surreal moment came, it was gone. I slammed into the ground beneath me. Hard. Grains of sand found themselves in my mouth, ears, and even eyes, and I had rolled several feet before coming to a painful stop. I seemed to be involuntarily shaking and gagging, trying to rid myself of the desert sands. My vision blurred and body ached, and it felt right to close my eyes. _Yes, just... a small rest_, I thought, though my aching head made it quite difficult to do just that. A sigh escaped my mouth, and I closed my eyes.

Moments later, my body was shaking once more, though not from my own actions. I shifted, trying to move away from whatever was doing it, but the shaking continued. That, combined with my pained body and head made one unhappy Zorua as I opened my eyes. They were met with a sly smile and amused look of the Sneasel that had parted ways with me. Well, I thought had parted ways with me.

"Taking a nap in the middle of a sandstorm is a death wish," he said with a yawn, "unless you want to learn what it's like to be a ground type, I'd get moving if I were you." He seemed to study the area around me for a fleeting second, "I take it you didn't find that friend."

"No," I said through clenched teeth. Even though he clearly saw me awake, he must have found it amusing to continue to prod and shake me with one foot. The claws adorning that foot were a little too close for comfort.

"Well that's a shame," he didn't seem too sorry about the news, and that only made my mood worse, not that he seemed to care. "At least you have such a stunning and beautiful creature such as myself to keep you company." Now I really wanted to punch him. If I had hands, that is. I'd love to hit that smirk right off of his face.

"If we're going to be 'friends'," I pushed back most of the irritation from my voice, but my words were still edged with it, "then what's your name?"

"Don't have one," he hummed, finally stopping with his constant prodding.

"Of course you don't," I sighed again and rolled my eyes, "it's not like they're important or anything. All they do is define who we are."

"Hm, sarcasm. I didn't think you were capable of using it. Congrats."

"Congrats?" I shot back, "and I didn't know Pokémon used slang."

"You're a Pokémon, and you just used it. If we can't now we'll both suffer eternal punishment." He had me there, but I wasn't going to allow him the satisfaction of watching me try and come up with a better remark. Instead, I got to my feet and scanned my surroundings. Unless I was looking for rocks and sand, there wasn't any sign of Pyrite Town around. Picking a direction, I began walking. Not surprisingly, the Sneasel turned and followed. We trekked on.

"Why do you keep looking around every minute," he asked after a long silence between us. "It's not like the desert's going to suddenly change."

"I'm looking for my friend, and why do you care?"

"Just trying to have a conversation. I'll add curiosity to my list of my list of things that get on your nerve. You're making quite a long one."

"You mine as well add yourself to that list," I said, causing him to chuckle. "If you want to _not_ irritate me, you could help look for my friend."

"Are they imaginary?" he asked with mock seriousness, "because that's something you'd have to handle on your own."

"No, she's a Vulpix. Yellow, hard to miss. Especially in this area."

"Vulpix aren't yellow..." he trailed off, "so they are imaginary! How lucky of me to find someone as insane as I am." Now I definitely wanted to smack that grin right off his face. I was on my last nerve.

"Maybe I am insane, but at least I'm not a self-centered prick on top of it."

"Ouch, with that dreadful attitude and personality, no wonder your imaginary friend ran away." That was my last straw. I reared back to face him, ears pressed back and sharp teeth bared.

"Why are you following me, anyway?! Don't you have, oh I don't know, anywhere else to be? You jumped out of that truck like you were on a mission, and I'm pretty sure bothering me wasn't part of it."

He held his clawed hands up innocently and backed up a few paces. "No need to get hostile, this happened to be the direction I needed to go. I figured we could both use the company, figuring real Pokémon would be much better to talk to than whatever you were friends with before." He oddly seemed sincere with the statement, and I calmed myself as best as I could.

"Fine, let's go then." I turned and started walking with a much brisker pace. Better to get my anger out by storming off than attacking him. _I don't even know how to fight as a Pok_é_mon. Better bluff than actually do it._

He jogged to catch up, and to my annoyance, easily held my pace and fell into step beside me. "Since we are traveling in... the same direction, you can call me Z if you want. That's what I was labeled by the humans that handled me. Guess it's the best letter, or else they wouldn't have given it to me."

"Labeled you?" I asked out of curiosity, but he just shrugged and didn't say a word of explanation. _Guess we both don't like curiosity, then. _The air around us had grown cold and the sky was growing darker and darker. Though we made quite some progress in our desert hike, there was still no sign of anything but rocks and sand around us. Exhaustion was starting to get to me. "Are we going to find a place to rest, or are we just going to walk all night too?"

"We?" Z asked rhetorically, flashing a crooked grin, "I thought that 'we' just happened to be walking in the same direction." I rolled my eyes. Seems I've been doing a lot of that lately.

"I would ditch you in a second, if I had any idea of where we were going or what's in this empty region." He seemed to pause in thought, and even stroked his chin with a show of mock pondering.

"So you have no idea where you're heading?" he didn't wait for an answer, "and you just assumed that this direction was the one you were supposed to go in? What if it's the complete opposite?" Well, crap. He had a point, though I wasn't about to admit that to him. Hearing no response from me, he voiced another question. "How did you manage to get into the delivery truck back there, anyway? You obviously didn't get into it the same way I did, unless you were a part of that box of goodies." He was referring to the Pokéballs from before. _So he was one of the ones in that box. His ball must have been what I was pressed against when I got in there, making it release him. _Well, it seemed like a logical conclusion.

"Flair, er, my friend and I were trying to get somewhere by hitching a ride on a car. Something went wrong, and I ended up inside of it while she..." I trailed off. I didn't know what had happened to her. _I hope she's okay..._

"Well, seems like it was good luck for me and bad luck for you, then," Z said, "let's get some shut-eye."


	7. Chapter 7

_The darkness surrounded me, and I could feel myself drifting. No... not drifting, more like flying. I felt free, untamed. Content in my moment of slumber. For once I was dreaming, though it felt so real, and so surreal compared to the numb nights of darkness in my mind that had greeted me in my new life so far. My head was fuzzy, but my eyes curious, and I scoped the scene in front of me. _

_There was a figure there, to blurred and faded to make out. A remnant of my missing memory. The only thing I could focus on was the uniform, as black as the empty dream around me. It seemed as if their mouth was moving, but no words erupted from it. The world was silent, and only my soft breaths broke the eerie calm of silence. Another figure appeared, across from the first. _

_I glided closer, the normal bounds of reality didn't seem to touch my floating self. They remained just as obscure, but sound pierced the air. _

_"Why should you decide what is right and wrong," a strikingly familiar voice hissed, though like everything, it was impossible to put any recollection to such a thing, especially in this world of unreality. There was no room for such troubling attempts to do so, I was flying! The voice continued. "it's wrong to-"_

I was shaken awake, and a growl tore its way from my mouth before I could even open my eyes.

"No need to be rude, it's morning. And you were tossing in your sleep," Z said, and he almost seemed as irate as me, to my curiosity. I hadn't seen that emotion from him before. "I'm leaving if you want to come along." He turned from facing me, and started pacing away without giving me a chance to get to my own feet. His eyes were serious, and an aura of anticipation seemed to radiate off of him. Something wasn't right, but I kept my mouth shut.

"Sure," I yawned as lifted myself up and bound forward to catch up, "I'll get nowhere around here without my daily dose of superiority from you." He didn't even crack a smile. Something was definitely wrong.

To my great relief, after only a short trip, a treeline came into view. Z was somberly silent, and I was respectfully keeping quiet as well, though I allowed myself a deep sigh of relief as our pace picked up and veered toward the greenery. _Can't say I'll miss that desert._

Though the forest was just a bunch of random trees to me, the Sneasel sure did seem like he knew where he was going. It didn't take long for the atmosphere to change, and dim, human voices to sound farther off into the forest.

Z spread his arm in a wide arc, motioning to the sounds I had noticed before. "We're on the outskirts of Agate Village," he said. As he mentioned it, I noticed the dense trees give way to natural looking buildings, as well as those that seemed to be made of trees themselves. It was truly a magnificent sight, and my eyes widened with awe.

"It seems big for a village," I noted, "though it does look old."

"How should I know, or care, if it should be a village or not," Z shrugged, "we have more things to do here than debate what the place should be called." His eyes suddenly crossed with an emotion I couldn't quite decipher, and they locked with my own.

"Since you're here with me, would you mind using your illusions to get us through town without being noticed? No offense, but we're a pretty distinctive pair."

His gaze lit with hope, and I had to admit that his idea was a good, considering what had happened earlier in the forest with Flair. Save for one fatal flaw. "I, er, don't know how. I'm sorry."

He laughed, though more out of disbelief than humor. "Seriously? Last I checked, you're a _Zorua_. Just my luck. Have you even _tried_ before."

"Er, no."

"And out of all the times you could have brought it up before, you decide now is the best one?"

"It's not exactly something that comes from idle conversation." _Not to mention you didn't say a word all day._ I bit back the thought from being said out loud. I didn't feel like trying to explain why I hadn't, either. He didn't deserve an explanation at this point. He'd just make a snide comment anyway.

His shoulders slumped, and his eyes fell from my own, as he muttered something I couldn't quite decipher. "This complicates things. I would have rather not risked being seen," he sighed, "we'll try our luck at night, then. But I don't know if she'll..." he trailed off. His body slid down the stump he had been leaning against, and he grew into silence once more, almost purposefully ignoring me as he pondered whatever was bouncing around in his mind. That left me to silence as well, which grew to boredom.

With nothing to do, I started to think as well. _How does a Zorua even make an illusion?_ I glanced up at the sky as if it would give me some sort of reply. It didn't offer one, save for the sun still high in its peak. _This is going to be a long day. One where I have nothing to do. I could at least try. As much as I don't like him, I don't like seeing him so defeated._ I turned away from Z and narrowed my eyes in concentration. I could at least attempt to create an illusion.


	8. Chapter 8

Just as soon as my resolve hit its peak, my mind drew a blank. I was a human, not Pokemon. _How could I possibly think that deciding to make an illusion would just magically give me that ability?!_ That split of irritation was enough to break my focus, and along with it, the moment of inspiration to do that in which a Zorua is so natural at doing. _I don't even know where to begin... I'm a human, nothing more. I can't deny my nature._ Still that thought seemed like a catalyst. I wasn't human anymore, the thought was farther from the truth! _All this time I've clung to the past with an iron grip- a past that I can't even remember. Maybe the answer relies in the present. I'm a Pokémon. There's no changing that... but there is changing me._ A serene lightness filled my head, and I closed my eyes, concentrating on the part of me that I've pushed away for so long. The Pokémon part of me... the person, no, Pokemon that I was now. I opened my eyes.

_Focus._ It was so clear now. I didn't need to think, to force such a thing to happen. It was a natural ability for Zorua, and I made use of that. I gave control by driven instinct, taking the passenger seat in my mind. It gave me time to conjure an image. It was a human girl, looking to be a young adult. Her eyes were black pits that seemed to swallow you if you stared into their abyss for too long, and it was hard to look away. Her hair was crimson, strikingly so. She was so familiar... but my current state of mind didn't seem to delve on that fact. The image of the woman became my focus... and I became her.

An illusion, from the creator's perspective, was quite a strange sight. I was still in my Zorua body, and a thin, almost hologram of the human body I had conjured remained around me. Every movement I imagined her doing, she did, so long as I was in its proximity. From the outside looking in, however, and it seemed as real as anything, just another human in the forest without a Zorua in sight. _I really did it!_ The realization hit me like a brick. _I'm not a useless Pokémon, after all._ I couldn't hold the grin back, and it spread wide across my face, transferring to the human face I had created. _Seems all I had to do was let go of the notion that I was still as much of a human as I was before._ Then it struck me. The familiar face, the ease in which I could recall the image of the girl- no, not just a girl. It was me, the illusion now standing in my place was my body! There was no doubt in my mind, but what could I do with that information at this time? This was not the time to be selfish. And so, I turned back toward the life I had created in such a short time, toward where Z was resting, and cast aside the thoughts of my prior life. _He needs me more than I need me. I'm finally understanding what's important in this strange world._

The sky was growing darker, and Z's prior concerns dotted my mind. _He was worried that 'she' wouldn't be 'there' after dark. I've got to hurry then._ I took a meager step forward, only to be halted by a threatening hiss. Startled, I turned and locked eyes with Z, who's own eyes shone with pure malice. He didn't hesitate, with one arm bent and ready, he curved his sharp claws toward me and sprang. Well, not necessarily toward me. In my moment of self reflection, I had forgotten that there was still an illusion concealing me. The Sneasel's attack slammed into the human-me's chest, and he quickly phased through the illusion, causing it to shatter with the force of the attack.

Turning in surprise at missing, Z's gaze swept back around and hovered on me, before he seemed to relax his tensed position. "I thought you couldn't make illusions," he said, "and I'm not too fond of humans getting that close- just a word of caution." Still, there was relief reflected in his expression, and a small smile turned at the corner of his lips. "I thought maybe a trainer came by and I'd have to had rescued you. I really didn't feel like doing that. Well, since you did pull a stupid false alarm, and you apparently are a pathological liar, let's go before it gets dark." It seemed like too much effort to defend myself against his comments, so I instead nodded. "Go where, exactly?"

"I'm a fan of surprises, I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise," he winked. I rolled my eyes. After a quick ordeal of finding concentration long enough to craft two illusions, with Z around it was quite difficult to focus, we were ready to go through town undetected. I took the form of my human self while Z's appeared as a strangely dressed man, close in age to my own self. He, too, seemed to be a figure of my past, but I couldn't recall anything about him. Z started walking, seemingly just as mystified with the illusions as I was. I followed close behind, taking my first steps into the wooded village.

* * *

It didn't take us long to realize how much of a maze Agate Village truly was. "Any idea how to get to that cave over there?" Z asked, pointing to an opening in the mountain-like back of the village. I shrugged, scanning the area for any signs of where to go.

"We could ask that trainer over there," I pointed out, nodding toward a young boy working in a garden nearby. This earned a condescending chuckle from my ever-charming companion. "Just because we look like humans doesn't mean we can speak like them."

"I, er, might be able to," I said, already making up my mind to approach him. Z's illusioned body couldn't do much to stop me, and he watched with mixed curiosity and horror as I knelt down to the boy's level.

_I didn't even realize that the languages were different this entire time. It doesn't feel any different to me, it's like they're both the same language in my head._ I couldn't ponder this long, considering I was awkwardly kneeling next to a stranger.

The boy took a worn cloth and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a deep sigh before looking toward the illusion of me. "Can I help you, ma'am?" he asked kindheartedly, a slight accent in his words.

I smiled back, trying not to show the nervous light in my eyes that reflected in the human version's as well. _Here goes nothing._ "My friend and I are, uh, a bit lost," I said, desperately hoping what I had said came out as human speech. To my utmost relief, the boy seemed to comprehend my words, and he looked toward Z.

"We don't get many tourists 'ere these days. You two are quite the odd couple. Where were you plannin' on going?"

"That cave, just below us and across that stream," I pointed it out to him, still unsure of what Z was supposed to be accomplishing by going there.

"Tha's a confusing one," the boy chuckled, "you aren't the first to get lost on the way there. There should be a dirt path tucked away behind the Pokemon Center just across tha' bridge. It'll take yeh to where you're looking to go. Are you two plannin' on paying homage to the forest guardian Celebi?"

_Celebi? What would possibly connect a Pokemon like Z to Celebi?_ "Uh," I said, forcing a chuckle, "I guess we are."


End file.
